JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After afternoon thunderstorms forced a schedule change, Monday saw the Jacksonville University men's soccer team play host to the College of Charleston in the season-opener for both sides. In a tightly contested match that saw both teams have several opportunities to get on the board, neither found the back of the net through regulation and a pair of overtimes as the Dolphins (0-0-1) and Cougars (0-0-1) played to a 0-0 draw.
 
College of Charleston fired the first shot of the game in the 12th minute but Jabari Gray made a fantastic diving save to deny the first goal of the game. Reed Davis had an opportunity to get JU on the board in the 19th minute but the Cougars' goalie was able to get a glove on it to keep things scoreless.
 
Each team would only get one more shot attempt in the first 45 minutes of action, with C of C missing off the left post in the 33rd minute while Jacksonville's Olivier Correa had a shot blocked by a defender in the 40th minute of play.
 
The pace of play picked up along with the intensity level in the second half of the contest. The Cougars' Edin Aleckovic received his second yellow of the march in the 53rd minute, leaving the visitors to play down a man for the remainder of the match. Taking immediate advantage of the man-up situation, JU's Reggie Nicolas took a shot but missed high. Davis had a pair of looks in the minutes to follow, but was again denied by the keeper and missed high on his third attempt of the day.
 
A shot from Jose Manzo in the 71st minute looked like it might be the breakthrough Jacksonville had been looking for, but another save in goal kept things scoreless. The Cougars would get a pair of opportunities in the 76th minute, first on a shot high off the crossbar that resulted in C of C keeping possession and firing another strike that Gray was able to swat away diving to his right.
 
The Dolphins best scoring opportunity of the day came in the 84th minute, as Davis fired a strike from the top of the penalty area that just missed high and ricocheted off the cross bar.
 
With the score even after 90 minutes, the first overtime saw just one shot attempt from the Dolphins, courtesy of Correa but it tailed off right. Both teams continued to battle and prevent the offenses from getting any clear shots on goal, sending the game to a second extra period.
 
Jacksonville kicked off the final 10 minute period and got another look from Correa that was saved by a Cougars' defender at the last moment with the keeper being out of position. Continuing to control the temp, JU maintained possession for most of the second overtime and was able to get two more opportunities to score, once more on a shot from Correa that was blocked and immediately after on the rebound from Mason Tunbridge that just sailed high. The final five minutes elapsed with neither side getting another shot opportunity as the day ended in a scoreless draw.
 
Davis and Correa each had four shots and two shots on goal in the game, as the Dolphins outshot the Cougars 15-5 in the match. JU also finished the day with a 12-4 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
 
The Dolphins will be back at Southern Oak Stadium on Friday, as they host FAU in a contest scheduled for 3 PM.